Rahman, Satyarthi contribute to ‘world’s happiest playlist’

United Nations: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi chose Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ while Oscar winner A R Rahman contributed his own composition to a global music playlist launched by the UN on the occasion of the International Day of Happiness.

Children’s rights advocate Satyarthi said he nominated the song as it made him happy because it helps him know the world will end child slavery, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

Rahman chose his composition ‘Infinite Love,’ which he has called an “aspirational” video with the message that “an ideal world can definitely be created with a pure mind and optimistic results”, according to information on his website.

The UN Secretary-General nominated a song by artist Stevie Wonder, whom he designated as a Messenger of Peace in 2010.

Ban chose Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’, saying that, to him, “it sounds like a new climate agreement and a new sustainable development agenda”.

Rahman teamed up with the UN to contribute to the global music playlist to commemorate the International Day of Happiness on March 20. The world body will use the power of music to show solidarity with millions suffering from poverty and abuse.

Rahman along with a host of superstars joined hands with the UN and the world’s most personalised music streaming service MixRadio to launch the #HappySoundsLike campaign.

UN Messengers of Peace and Goodwill Ambassadors along with international artists such as Oscar-winner John Legend, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and James Blunt, French artist David Guetta and actress Charlize Theron have contributed to create the world’s happiest playlist launched on March 20.

Ban had said the UN is “using the universal language of music to show solidarity with the millions of people around the world suffering from poverty, human rights abuses, humanitarian crises and the effects of environmental degradation and climate change.”

Music fans were also able to post the song that made them the happiest with the hashtag #HappySoundsLike.

MixRadio Head Jyrki Rosenberg said through the campaign the music service hopes that the general public follow in the steps of the host of global stars and share the track that makes them the happiest.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 2012, the International Day of Happiness acknowledges that “the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal.”

In its 70th anniversary year, the UN will be undertaking several campaigns to help achieve this goal.

The campaign officially launched with the release of a global video featuring a host of stars singing along to raise awareness of the campaign.